Headwear



Oct. 24, 1933. E. W|TT0FF 1,932,004

HEADWEAR Filed March 20, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i (By,

@Trop/var Oct 24, 1933 E. wrrTcol-'F 1,932,004

HEADWEAR Filed March 20, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A Trap/wirf Patented ot.i24, A193s i PATENT. OFFICE l HEADWEAR Edward Wittcof, St. Louis, Mo.

` Application March 20, 1930. Serial N0. 437,505

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to headwear and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in hats and other such headu wear Whose head-size is provided by a crown ,U- constructed of somewhat stiff, yet4 iiexibly yielding material, such as straw ,or the like, my invention having for its object the provision of a hat of the type stated so constructed and equipped as to enable convenient adjustment in the normal curvature ofthe crown for varying the head size of the hat and providing a Ventilating opening at the front or rear or at both the front and rear thereof.

And with the above and other objects in view,

E5 -my invention resides in the novel featuresl of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a hat equipped with a head-size adjuster of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental vertical sectional view of the hat; l

Figure 3 is a horizontal or longitudinal sectional view or the hat taken approximately on the line 3 3, Figure 2; and

Figures 4 and 5 are horizontal or longitudinal sectional views of hats embodying slightly modi- 3Q-.iied forms of my invention.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of my invention, A designates a hat of any suitable standard form and construction, ci which 1 is the crown, 2 the brim,

and 3 the usual sweat-band, the crown 1 being constructed of any suitable somewhat, as I havek stated, stiff, yet flexibly yielding material, such as straw or the like, and the brim 2 being corre- 0 spondingly constructed to relatively yield with or otherwise permit structural adjustments in the curvature of, and in the head-size of the hat provided by, the crown l.

The hat A being so constructed, a section 4 of strip steel or other suitable material of arcuate contour to conform approximately with the normal curvature of the crown 1 at the front thereof and of also relatively stili, but yet inherently possessing yielding or bendable characteristics, is 5,0 disposed horizontally upon and around the front portion of the crown l adjacent the 'brim 2 and preferably permanently xed at its opposite ends only to the crown l as by means of rivets 5 engaging the strip-end and the crown, all as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, the rivets 5 being interiorly of the crown covered, concealed, and

cushioned by the sweat-band 3 and the strip 4 being exteriorly of the hat covered and concealed by any decorative or other suitable ribbon, band, or the like 6. 6

As so constructed, the crown 1 has a head-opening of normal curvature to iit a certain size and type of head. However, the strip 4 is adapted and designed for arcuate bending and, when so bent, ,7, to yieldingly retain its bent contour. Accordingly, as the ends of the strip 4 are arcuately expanded or brought together, the normal curvature and t of the crown 1 are correspondingly varied and adjusted. In addition, when the ends of the strip 4 are yieldingly brought from normal 70" Y to a more closely spaced relation, the normal curvature of the crown 1 at the front of the hat is narrowed, so to speak, and the hat elongated, as I may say, whereby, not only is the fit of the hat adjusted, but also when the hat is upon the head, the crown 1 is spaced at the front thereof away from the head, a Ventilating aperture,r as at '7, being thereby provided, increasing greatly ther comfort of the hat, particularly in warm or hot weather. At the same time, the strip 4 functions 8W i to engage the hat With the head upon opposite sides of the forehead and to thus firmly, but without uncomfortable binding, retain the hat upon the head, it being, of course, understood that the brim 2 is so constructed as to also vary in con- 85 formation on any such variations in the normal curvature of the crown 1.

Preferably, the hat A is equipped with a crowncurvature varying strip 4 merely at the front thereof, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3. How- 90".'V4 ever, if desired, the hat A may be equipped both with the strip 4 and with an additional or a second such strip 4', the latter being similarly and for like purposes ixed to and upon the hat around t the rear part of the crown 1, as illustrated in Fig- 954 ure 4, a Ventilating aperture 7 being in like manner provided at the rear of the hat. f And, while preferably also the crown-curvature varying strip or strips 4, 4', are disposed exteriorly of the hat, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4, as an alternative form and if desired, a like strip or strips 4a may be similarly xed within the hat A2 either at the front or back or both front and back, as illustrated in Figure 5, the strip or strips 4a being, in such latter event, ,covered by the 105 sweat-band -or bands 3a.

The ventilation providing, curvature-varying, and hat retaining strip or strips are of inexpensive, ,durabley construction, may be readily and f conveniently operatively attached to the hat, and V11`0`?v are exceedingly eicient in the performance of their intended functions.

I am aware that minor changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new hat may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention,- what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a hat, in combination, a stiff crown constructed of material providing a yieldingly adjustable head-opening, a bendable resilient steel strip normally of an approximate U-shape..

contour disposed eXteriorly upon the crown atan end, and having its opposite ends disposedfatwise EDWARD WITTCOFF. 

